Word:The Old Testament Portrait of Christ

The Old Testament Portrait of Christ

The scripture is not complete without the full bible which is the Old and new testaments. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The message of today elucidate on the manifestation and depiction of Jesus Christ in the old testament. Also on how we can key into the significance of Jesus and receive out deliverance.

". . . And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."{Num 21:5-9}

Christ was not mentioned in the Old Testament, but we saw His manifestations, appearance and portraits in diverse ways.

The scripture above portrays Jesus Christ as the 'Brass snake hung on a pole'.
This was a graphical representation of His death to save mankind from
the venom of that old serpent (the devil). All the Israelites had to
do was 'look up to it'.

God had made a statement in Gen 3:15 which made up the sequence and
series of the whole Bible. 'And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head,
and thou shalt bruise his heel.'
In our opening text, the serpent begin to bruise their heel but no
seed of the woman (Jesus Christ) yet to bruise its head; so, there had
to be a portray and a graphical representation of what will happen
when He (Christ) came.

So, that action made anyone who looked up to be saved leaving the snake dead!

The devil in his attempt to search and to know the seed of the woman
killed Abel! Yes! He entered into Cain. He (devil), made several other
attempts but was unable to stop the seed of the woman when He (Christ)
was hung on the cross to finally defeat the old serpent and bruise its
head. (Col 2:15; John 12:31; 16:11; Heb 2:14-16).

In all of these scriptures, we saw how Jesus bruised the head (subdue totally, defeat) of the serpent.

The bruise means he was totally condemned

If you bruise the head of a snake, it will die totally. No wonder, the Bible speaking in 1 Cor 2:8 says, ‘which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.'

Implication: Those who looked up to the brass snake were saved from death but those who do not, died.

We cannot be saved by our own wisdom except by the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary.

Application: Jesus Christ is the brass snake hung unto the pole, we
are the Israelite;

If we look up to Calvary where Jesus had died and his blood still flowing for mercy, we'll be saved; if not destruction awaits.

The Bible says, 'looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith.’ - Heb 12:2. Yes, He started it and He completed it for us.

I pray: you will not end up in hell in the name of Jesus.
Action: Look unto (trust and rely) Jesus for salvation today. Tomorrow might be too late. (Acts 4:12)

Decree this: Lord, help me to look unto you at all times in the name of Jesus.
Confession: I look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.

Memorize: Heb 2:3,'How shall we escape, if we neglect so great
salvation; which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and
confirmed unto us by them that heard him.'
                                                       Shalom!

Okunola Samuel J.

^{For: Youth Empowerment and Support Group.}

Prayer Points

1.   Father lord, Give me the power to look unto you in the name of Jesus name.

2.   By the power of Jesus on the Cross, I receive my total healing in the name of Jesus.

3.   Let the lifting of Jesus o the Cross of Calvary; O lord lift me above every problems today in the name of Jesus.

4.   Resurrection power of Calvary, resurrect every good thing dead in my life in the name of Jesus.

5.   By the power of the holy ghost, I take authority and dominion in the name of Jesus

Declare these Confessions to yourself:

6.   God shall arise for me today, and I shall stand tall in Jesus name.

7.   Throughout this week I dwell in the wisdom of Jesus in the name of Jesus.

8.   Throughout this week, I am productive by the power of the holyghost in the name of Jesus.

Seven Fold Amen with Faith!!!

Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!

Hymn: My faith looks up to thee!

1. My faith looks up to thee,

     thou Lamb of Calvary,

     Savior divine!

     Now hear me while I pray,

     take all my guilt away,

     O let me from this day

     be wholly thine!

2.   May thy rich grace impart

     strength to my fainting heart,

     my zeal inspire!

     As thou hast died for me,

     O may my love to thee

     pure, warm, and changeless be,

     a living fire!

3.   While life's dark maze I tread,

     and griefs around me spread,

     be thou my guide;

     bid darkness turn to day,

     wipe sorrow's tears away,

     nor let me ever stray

     from thee aside.

4.   When ends life's transient dream,

     when death's cold, sullen stream

     shall o'er me roll;

     blest Savior, then in love,

     fear and distrust remove;

     O bear me safe above,

     a ransomed soul!